Translations

EUDEC’s Aims

To promote democratic education as a sensible educational model for all democratic states

To establish, in legislation, the right to found and attend democratic schools and to provide aid and support to democratic schools and start-up groups

To facilitate exchange of information between democratic schools in Europe and create connections between schools for cooperation and mutual learning

To provide information and outreach programs for colleges and training institutes to give future teachers a practical understanding of the basics of democratic education and what it can mean for teachers, pupils, educational environments, and democratic states

EUDEC's Mission

The European Democratic Education Community (EUDEC) seeks to promote and support democratic education across Europe. It is working to become the foremost advisory organisation and connective network for European schools and organisations practicing and seeking to develop and promote democracy in education. It will provide support to schools and start-up initiatives, education professionals, parents, pupils and students, and facilitate networking between them.

How EUDEC Defines Democratic Education

The basis of democratic education is in certain rights of students, which EUDEC defines as follows (based on the 2005 Resolution of the 13th International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC), Berlin, Germany):
In any educational institution, students have the right

to make their own choices regarding learning and all other areas of everyday life. In particular, they may individually determine what to do, when, where, how and with whom, so long as their decisions do not infringe on the liberty of others to do the same.

to have an equal share in the decision making as to how their organisations – in particular their schools – are run, and which rules and sanctions, if any, are necessary.

Democratic education is defined by this organisation as education conducted in keeping with the above Resolution.